Method of winding textile yarns



April 21, 1953 J. K. COCHRAN METHOD OF WINDING TEXTILE YARNS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 13, 1948 I N VEN TOR.

JOHN K. COCHRAN ATTORNEYS T I N DENSITY- DUROMETER UNITS O) April 1, 1953 J. K. COCHRAN 2,635,820

METHOD OF WINDING TEXTILE YARNS Filed Nov. 13, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tic- E- YARN SPEED YARDS PER MINUTE 2000 INVENTOR. JOHN K. COGHRAN BY Mgg/ ATTORNEYS Tens ion or April 21, 1953 J. K. COCHRAN 2,635,820

METHOD OF WINDING TEXTILE YARNS Filed Nov. 15, 1948 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 a loco a 2000 yam s neea' yards per Mjnuze D en/er Densif Duromefer um'zs 0 I00 500 I000 150a 2000 yam speed yards oer minuzz' IN V EN TOR.

Jo/7n K Cochran 'P W T A T TORNE Y6 April 21, 1953 J. K. COCHRAN 2,635,320

METHOD OF WINDING TEXTILE YARNS Filed Nov. 15, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nam/v3.1. #5193115 JTTORNEIJ;

April 21, 1953 J. K. cocHRAN 2,635,820

METHOD OF WINDING TEXTILE YARNS Filed Nov. 13, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NOLLUDNO 75' JOJDEds/J .500 1000 YHRNJPEED YHRDJ/MINUTE IN VEIV T OR g T RNE Patented Apr. 21, 1953 METHOD OF WINDING. TEXTILE YARNS John K. Cochran, Conyngham, Pa., assignorto The Duplan Corporation, Hazelton, Pa., a cor-.-

poration of Delaware Application November 13, 1948, Serial No. 59,856

This invention relates to method and apparatus for winding textile yarns and particularly for winding yarns at increased speed and decreased tension.

Winding speeds for textile yarns, includlng synthetic yarns such as nylon for instance, formerly were in the neighborhood of 150 yards per minute. Recently new methods and equipment have been announced, attracting wide attention in the industry, which will permit yarn winding in the neighborhood of 500 yards per minute.

This was considered exceptionally high by those skilled in the art.

Attempts to improve or increase winding speeds have proved difficult due to increased yarn tension and mechanical considerations. It

'has been noted that tensions on the yarn increase as winding speedsincrease. It was apparentthat greatly increased speeds would create excessive tensions.

Another consideration is that of traverse or feed of the yarn onto the winding bobbin. In order to prevent the yarn strands from being drawn into underlying layers of yarn on a bobbin 'it has been necessary to provide a considerable angle of feed, thus reducing the number of laps per wind. These considerations necessitated mechanical structures which would oscillate smoothly in order to feed the yarn properly onto the bobbin. Therefore mechanical considerations of the traverse reduced Winding speeds below those the industry would like to use.

' length while the bobbin was stored. This characteristic action increased greatly the inward pressure and caused widespread breakage of bobbins. Lower winding speeds therefore were necessary in order to obviate the nylon elasticity problem.

It is an object of this invention to provide new and improved method and apparatus for winding textile yarns.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for winding textile yarns at speeds which greatly exceed those used in the industry in the past.

Another object of the invention is to reduce 7 Claims. (Cl. 242-918) In ne drawings there is illustrated'apparatus operation impractical. a method and apparatus which will permit the V oi 1500 to 2000 or greater yards per minute.

i 2 the tens-ion on the yarn during winding operations.

Further objects will be apparent after a study of the following description, claims and drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of yarn winding apparatus involving the teachings of this inventionj Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of the principal elements involved in textile yarn winding, showing with greater particularity the winding elements shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a graph illustrating the tension or density versus winding speed characteristics of nylon Yarns under one set of conditions;

Figure 4 is a graph illustrating tension versus winding speed characteristics of rayon and other synthetic yarns under the same conditions;

Figure 5 is a graph illustrating denier versus winding speed characteristics of nylon yarn being wound at high speed; A

Figure 6 illustrates the priorart type of build and angle of feed of yarn on a standard bobbin;

Figure 7 illustrates the bobbin build and angle of feed in following this invention; and

Figures 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the curves of Figures 3, 4 and 5 in which tension is represented as j the efiect of tension.

As mentioned above, it has been noted by those skilled in the art that the tension increased as the windin speed increased. It has been the general impression that a winding speed is reached at which the tens-ion is excessive, thus causing breakage or at least making commercial This invention involves winding of textile yarns at speeds in the order In pr cti ing the t a h n s o thi in ent o i 'h b en. noted tha the tensiqh .01 t e yarn inc eases as th speed ncreases t a ce in critical poi after which the tension no longer increasesso that the winding speed may he at a rate greatly in ess of th cr i al point with no n e se in ten n whi h wil enable h pract c n of this in entio rdin o the m hod hat l he herei after described.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a suitable frame H for supporting yarn winding apparatus. A

source of power l2 may be provided for driving the elements for winding thetextile yarns. Power from the source I2 is transmitted through a suitable gear train 13 through a drive shaft 14 to vertical driving shaft 25.

3 a driving belt pulley l5. A driving belt l6, driving a second pulley 17, transmits this power through a small drive shaft [3 and gear train l9 to a cam 20.

The cam 20 is shaped so as to provide linear oscillating action to a mechanical linkage system 22 by means of a rider 23 guided by the cam. The movement is imparted through the linkage mechanism 22 through another driving arm 24 to a vertical drive shaft 25. The drive shaft 25 is connected at its upper end to a standard traverse bar 26.

The rider 23 is attached to a horizontally extending arm 21 which in turn is rigidly attached at an angle to an essentially vertically extending arm 28. These arms 21 and 28 may be pivotally mounted in any desired way on the frame H. A, longitudinally extending member 29 is pivotally mounted at one end to the vertically extending arm 28 and also pivotally mounted at the other end to a vertically extending arm 30.

The vertical arm 38 is in turn rigidly attached at approximately right angles to the driving arm 24, The arms 24 andtt similarly may be pivotally mounted in any suitable way on the arm ll, With this mechanism the motion imparted by the cam 29 to the rider 23 is transferred through the driving arm 24, to the traverse It will be apparent that many mechanical modifications of this particular driving mechanism may be used. The linkage mechanism shown is merely one preferred form.

a By means of the cam 20, the movement and through another gear train 32 through a drive shaft 33 and belt pulley 34 to supply the necessary power to the driving belt 35. The driving belt 35 is supported at its other end by any suitable pulley 36. Belt guides 31 may be provided along the length or traverse of the belt, .as desired.

The yarn bobbins V 42 are rotated bythe belt 35 contacting the whorl 43 in the usual way.

Theyarn bobbins are of course centered opposite the traverse of the bar 26 so as to provide the desired yarn build. V

The yarn supply pirn 4'! is supported by the frame H in any desired manner and located adjacent the takeup bobbin 42. The pirn 41 .may be located above or below the bobbin 42 as desired. In actual practice it has been found that the location of the pirn in this respect has no important practical eifects.

The yarn from the supply pirn 41 passes through any suitable guide 48 supported on the traverse bar 26 adjacent'the takeup bobbin 42. 'From' the yarn guide 48 the yarn passes to the 'takeup bobbin '42 in the usual way.

In the drawing two yarn takeup bobbins are "illustrated. It will be apparent that the number of bobbins and pirns located on the rack 'Il' is arbitrary and they may be positioned as desired in actual practice, being limited only by structural considerations of the frame. For the sake of clarity one pirn is illustrated below the bobbin 42. A second bobbin 42' is illustrated but the corresponding supply pirn has been omitted in order that the elements and structure may be ,more clearly shown. 7

Furthermore, it will be noted, by referrmg to :1

Figure 2, that double rows of yarn bobbins may be provided on the rack ll, extending longitudinally, fed by the single traverse bar 26.

In carrying out the method in accordance with this invention a practice quite different from that heretofore practiced by the art is desirable. For instance, in the lower speed windings, i. e., in the neighborhood of yards per minute, the number of laps on a bobbin was in the neighborhood of T5 to 30 per traverse, using standard sprockets and pulleys in the neighborhood of four to five inches and a traverse in the neighborhood of five inches. In accordance with this invention, the traverse bar is selected to oscillate at a speed to provide a build in the neighborhood of 150 to 400 laps per traverse. Thus in following this invention, the number of laps per traverse is considerably in excess of the num-- ber involved in the prior teachings in the art. A bobbin build in this way is practical at high winding speeds.

In following this teaching, the number of laps per traverse is limited principally by the diameter of the yarn. In other words following laps should not overlap earlier laps in the same traverse- Thus the lead should not be less than the diameter of the yarn. As a practical or commercial matter the lead should probably be slightly greater than the diameter of the yarn.

In Figure 6, a bobbin build in accordance with the prior art is illustrated. The large lead or angle of feed will be noted. This has been the practice as mentioned previously to prevent the yarn from being drawn into the underlying layers. By contrast, the bobbin build resulting from practicing this invention is illustrated in Figure '7. It will be noted that the number of laps per traverse is greatly increased as a result of a lead or angle offeed which is limited principally by the diameter of the yarn. 7 At high speeds all rotating parts must be balanced and constructed to run true.

A yarn feed in the neighborhood of 150 to 400 laps per traverse also reduces the mechanical problems involved in anoscillating traverse bar running at high speeds. If'the former practices in the art were followed while increasing the winding speed, the mechanical problems. of the high speed oscillation of thetraverse would make commercial use of the apparatus impractical. Furthermore, rapid oscillation of the traverse would greatly increase the tension on the yarn. In practicing this invention, therefore, the mechanical problems are reduced to a minimum in that the traverse oscillates slowly. Atthe same time, the tensions on the yarn caused by the oscillating traverse, are reduced.

I Furthermore, when the yarn is run at speeds in the neighborhood of 1500 to 2000 orgreater yards per minute, a certain amountof momentum is provided by the strand of yarn so that it may be transferred from thesupply pirn to the takeup bobbin without a great amount of tension.

Actual tests made on a number of different yarns showthat while the tension increases with the speed to a critical point, the yarn maybe wound, following the method outlined above, at greatly increased speeds without proportionately increasing the tension. In Figure 3 the results of tests conducted on a number of nylon yarns is shown. Curve 5! illustrates the tension or bobbin density versus winding speed for 20 denier nylon yarn. It will be noted that as the speed increases from the neighborhood of 200 yards per minute to av little over 500 yards per minute the density or tension also increases rapidly. As the speed of approximately 5540 yards per minute is passed the tension increases very little so that the resultant curve levels off for all practical considerations. The 1540 speed point may be considered the critical speed or knee of the curve.

The curve identified by the reference numeral .52 illustrates the characteristic of 4 denier nylon. Here it will be noted that the tension increases with speed up to approximately 650 yards per minute at which point the curve similarly levels off so that although the speed greatly increases the tension increases very little. Here the knee of the curve occurs at 65o yards per minute. Similarly, the curves illustrated by the reference numerals 153 and 5% illustrate, respectively, the characteristics of 7:0 denier nylon and 210 denier nylon. It will be noted that as the yarn weight increases the critical point or knee of the curve occurs at a higher speed. While this knee occurs at approximately 7'75 yards per minute for the 70 denier nylon, it will be noted that it occurs at approximately 1275 yards per minute for the heavier 210 denier nylon.

In each instance, however, a definite critical speed is reached representing the knee of the curve of tension versus Winding speed. Thus the yarn may be wound in accordance with this invention at any speed above the knee without increasing the tension, resulting in a greatly increased winding speed for textile yarns as a practical or commercial matter.

The characteristics ofother synthetic yarn, such as the rayon family, is illustrated in Figure 4. In this case it will be noted that the knee i."

of the curve occurs at approximately the same speed for each of the three yarn weights illustrated, namely 75 denier and 100 denier, representing viscose rayon yarn. Likewise the knee occurs at the same point for 150 denier acetate rayon yarn. In each of the instances mentioned this knee occurs at approximately 1250 yards per minute. After this speed is passed the tension levels off so that, as a practical matter, there is no increase in tension, although the winding 1 speed may be greatly increased.

In Figure 5 there is illustrated the nylon characteristic of denier versus winding speed at yarn speeds at or above the knee of the curve of tension versus speed or, more specifically, along that portion of the curve at which the tension or density remains comparatively constant while the winding speed increases in multiple units.

In the prior art, textile yarns have been wound at speeds less than the critical point or knee of the curve of tension versus winding speed. In accordance with this invention textile yarns may be wound at speeds which are a multiple of the prior art practice representing speeds above the knee of the curve of tension versus winding speed.

The curves or graphs shown in the drawings are for illustrative purposes and represent one set of conditions. A durometer test for bobbin hardness was made as an indication of yarn tension. Such a test is one convenient way of making such measurements and indicates yarn tension to the extent that a critical point is reached in the winding speed beyond which the tension no longer increases. The curves, based on durometer or hardness tests, illustrate that the tension levels oil beyond this critical point. Personal observation indicates, however, that in reality, yarn tension decreases beyond the critical point as hereinafter more fully described. Other types of tests or methods of making measurements would yield such results. Howevenre- .gardless of the type tests, the tension will increase to a certain critical point or winding speed, and beyond this point the tension will no longer increase to any considerable extent.

Furthermore, the tension varies with the time that any particle of the textile yarn is in space between the supply .pirn and the taheup bobbin. Thus, for any given distance between the pirn and the bobbin, the tension will no longer increase beyond the critical point as the winding speed increases, since the time during which any particle of the yarn is in space between the pirn and the bobbin is decreased as a result of the increase in winding speed. Furthermore, at any given winding speed, the distance betweenthe pirn and the bobbin may be decreased so as to decrease the time that a yarn particle is in space and thus tend to decrease yarn tension.

The curves illustrated inthe drawings represent that set of conditions in Which the distance between the pirn and the bobbin was in the neighborhood of three feet. If this distance is increased, then the critical point or knee ofthe curve of tension against winding speed will occur at a higher point or higher winding speed. This is due to the fact that because of the increased distance, the particle of yarn is in space a greater length of time. Increased winding speed will decrease this time so that the critical point is reached at a higher winding speed. In other words, tension may be decreased by decreasing the time that a particle of yarn is in space, either by decreasing the distance between the pirn and the yarn or increasing the winding speed. By the same analogy, if the distance between the pirn and the yarn is less than three feet, the critical point or knee of the curve will occur at a lower winding speed than that indicated in the drawing.

In Figure 8 there is illustrated the tension curves of Figure 3 in which tension is shown in the practical sense as the effect of tension. The eifect of tension appears as elongation of the yarn and, as pointed out above, such eiiect of tension is a result of the time during which any tension may be applied. Tension, for instance, as a physical matter applied for an infinitesimal period of time will have little or no effect on an article. Slight tension, on the other hand, applied over a longer period of time will have considerably greater effect. Thus, in practies the effect of yarn tension decreases beyond the knee of the curve.

Similarly, Figures 9 and 10 show the practical effect of tension of the curves of Figures 4 and 5 respectively. Thus it will be noted that beyond the knee of the curve, tension or the efiect of tension, decreases so that lower denier yarn may be wound at higher speeds.

Thus the curves illustrated represent one set of conditions. Any number of conditions will vary the exact location of the critical point. However, there will always be a critical point at or above Which the winding speed may be increased without increasing tension on the yarn. Tension as used herein means efiect of tension, as explained above.

The particular embodiments of the invention illustrated are those preferred. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

7 What is claimed is: V 1. The method of winding textile yarns of nylon and the like which consists in winding said .yarn substantially level on a bobbin at a speed above the knee of the curve of tension versus winding speed characteristics of the yarn and feeding said yarn onto the said bobbin with each turn substantially contiguous with the preceding turn providing laps per traverse determined by the diameter of the yarn.

2. The method of Winding textile yarns of saidyarn substantially level on a bobbin at a speed greater than that representing the knee of the curve of tension versus winding speed, and

feeding the yarn on the bobbin to provide more stantially level on said bobbin at a speed greater than 550 yards per minute and feeding the yarn to provide more than 150 laps per traverse.

5. The method of winding textile yarns of nylon and the like which consists in winding the said yarn substantially level on a bobbin at a nylon and the like which consists in winding the fspeed above that representing the knee of th curve of tension versus winding speed, and in operating the traverse to provide more than 150 laps per traverse on a standard five inch bobbin.

6. The method of winding textile yarns of .nylon and the like on a standard bobbin which consists in winding the said yarn substantially level :on a bobbin at speeds between 550 and 2000 that a particle of said yarn is in space between a supply pirn and a takeup bobbin less than /10 of a second and feeding said yarn onto the said bobbin to provide more than 30 laps per inch of traverse.

JOHN K. COCHRAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 472,383 Murphy Apr. 5, 1892 953,813 Bergmann Apr. 5, 1910 1,240,352 Lipps Sept. 18, 1917 2,119,963 Ramsdell June 7, 1938 2,287,870 Elvin 'et a1 June 30, 1942 2,4333% Stream Dec. 23, 1947 2, i61,593 Decker Feb. 15, 1949, 2,463,773 Jenks Mar. 3, 1949 

